


Sonic: Genesis Nexus

by Alphamon_Ouryuken



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comic)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:28:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27100471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alphamon_Ouryuken/pseuds/Alphamon_Ouryuken
Summary: Sometime after the Dark Gaia incident,  things have mostly settled down, the world is at peace, and Dr Eggman has gone surprisingly silent in the last few months...However, that all changes when a Genesis Portal opens up, revealing an individual who looks exactly the Blue Blur himself; Zonic.The Zone Cop reveals that he needs the Freedom Fighters to help in a new dimension know as the Genesis Nexus, the very source of all the Genesis Portals, as well as an amalgamation of various locations from several Dimensions that were lost in the Super Genesis Wave.Zonic then reveals that if they don't act fast more portals will begin to open all across Mobius Prime, bringing with them old friends from the previous reality… and even more enemies...
Relationships: Antoine D'Coolette/Bunnie Rabbot, Sally Acorn & Sonic the Hedgehog
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

Welcome to Mobius, a world unique and beyond the one you've seen in another time and place. One that has been through several trials and conflicts that have shaken the very multiverse it resides in.

A mad scientist with aspirations of global domination…

A millennia-old conqueror who sought to bend reality to his whim…

A mythically-empowered demigod who wished to purge their world of anything they deemed "impure"...

A treacherous and manipulative wizard who desired the restoration of an ancient evil order...

And even invaders from the stars as well as conquerors from alternate realities who sought to claim this world as their own...

...all of whom were stopped time and time again by a hero as fast and free as the wind, alongside his loyal yet strong band of allies known as _the Freedom Fighters_.

The Hero of Mobius; **_Sonic the Hedgehog_ **

However, this world would face a calamity like no other when a powerful phenomenon occurred, irreversibly altering the entire multiverse and Mobius' entire timeline...

A phenomenon now known as _The Super Genesis Wave_

It all began after what seemed like the ultimate defeat for the mad scientist known as Dr. Robotinik, AKA Dr. Eggman. Time and time again, Sonic had soundly defeated him, no matter what plan he came up with, no matter what scheme, he would always fail and endure humiliating defeat. If not by Sonic himself, then by his loathsome allies and comrades.

It almost felt as though there was some unspoken rule that he could _never succeed,_ that he _always_ had to lose... and that's when he got an idea: if those were the rules, then he would _change_ them, _cheat_ them, _bend them to his liking_.

And to do that, he needed to even the playing field.

To do so, Dr. Eggman acquired a Chaos Emerald, one of seven powerful gems that held near-limitless power, rebuilt his ultimate battle fortress; the Death Egg. And finally, utilizing the emerald is a power source, initiated his plan - Operation: Clean Sweep. He unleashed the very first Genesis wave upon Mobius, resetting several aspects of reality to the point where his enemies were still susceptible to Roboticization.

While the plan partially worked, the Chaos Emerald had mysteriously vanished in the process…

Unknown to Doctor Eggman, the powerful dimension-altering properties of the first Genesis Wave ended up transporting the Chaos Emerald to a completely different dimension... one where another mad scientist would repeatedly do battle with a powerful blue hero...

A hero is known as Mega Man.

Dr. Wily, Mega Man's sworn enemy, happened upon the Chaos Emerald by chance and through some simple trial and error experiments, would find himself contacting Dr. Eggman across dimensions. The two doctors eventually agreed to an alliance with each other, both evil scientists utilizing each other's resources to create the ultimate battle fortress. They unleashed a second Genesis Wave upon both of their dimensions, altering time and space to gain even more resources for their ultimate plan. To utilize all seven Chaos Emeralds to set off a more powerful version of the Genesis Wave that would allow them to warp both of their respective realities to their whim. Thus ensuring total domination of both their dimensions.

However, when two villains team up, it's only natural for both heroes to follow suit.

While they'd had a misunderstanding at first, both Sonic and Mega Man eventually allied together along with their respective friends to stop the sinister scientists from unleashing their deadliest weapon. Ultimately, the Super Genesis Wave was launched. However, the two heroes utilized the power of the Chaos Emeralds to mend the distortions that had occurred in their own dimensions.

However, while Mega Man was able to restore his home dimension to normal, Dr. Eggman refused to take this defeat lying down. He angrily attacked Sonic in the middle of his attempt at restoring Mobius, which resulted in not just their world, but their entire multiverse being distorted beyond repair...

Mobius was utterly altered from its previous state, with it's past, present, and future being wholly rewritten with the entire surrounding multiverse collapsing around it. Many events, areas, and individuals were either permanently altered or completely erased from existence in the ensuing chaos.

However, certain individuals and even entire areas that survived the calamity were transported to a single dimension. One that was spawned from the dimensional collapse… a dimension that has yet to be discovered…

And that dimension is known as:

**_The Genesis Nexus_ **

**__ **


	2. Into the Unknown (Part 1)

_**Westside Island: Royal Hills Zone:** _

Sonic the Hedgehog yawned as he rested on the branch of a tree, enjoying the tranquil silence of the forest. It had been almost six months since the world had finally been pulled back together, courtesy of Light Gaia, AKA "Chip".

Ever since then, Dr. Eggman had been surprisingly quiet; sure his sub-bosses had caused trouble on a few occasions (and there was that one incident with a swordsman named _Cortez_ ) but it was nothing that he or his friends couldn't handle.

As he continued to doze off, however, Sonic found his thoughts drifting to certain events that had transpired. Or, at the very least, events from the old reality...

 _'Every time my mind wanders back to those adventures, it's obvious that I've lived through them,'_ Sonic thought to himself as old memories, and half-forgotten experiences echoed with familiarity in his mind. _'...and yet, some of them feel fragmented. There are faces I don't recognize, names that I'm not familiar with or flat-out don't remember at all. There are even events that are a complete blur to me-'_

"SONIC!"

Sonic found himself pulled from his thoughts. His best friend, Miles "Tails" Prower, was responsible as he flew towards the tree with a panicked expression on his face.

"We've got a situation!" The golden fox said as his twin tails twirled like a helicopter's blade.

 _'I knew it was only a matter of time,'_ Sonic thought to himself as he pushed himself off the branch. "Lemme guess…" The hedgehog began, landing on the ground with skill and then started doing some stretches. "Dr. Eggman finally crawled out from whatever rock he was hiding under and unleashed his latest and greatest creation?"

"No, still complete silence on that front," the twin-tailed fox said as he landed next to his best friend. "This might be worse, depending on what happens next."

"What do you mean by that?" Sonic asked with an arched brow.

"It's another Genesis Portal! It just opened up in the middle of the park!" Tails explained frantically.

Less than a second after those words left his mouth, Sonic had already sped off towards Moboropolis.

 _'Ugh, whatever that Genesis Wave did, its effects are still wreaking havoc all over Mobius!'_ He thought to himself with Tails flying not too far behind him.

"Has anyone been injured?" Sonic asked as his friend caught up to him. "Did anything pop out of the portal yet? How are the rest of the Freedom Fighters handling it?"

"Well... that's just the thing…" Tails began, scratching his head anxiously. "Something, or rather _someone_ , did come out of the portal. But, the portal itself has done nothing except float there." He explained as they swiftly raced through the Wood Zone.

"Someone?" Sonic repeated, not liking the sound of that one bit. The last "someone" that had to deal with involving the Genesis Portals was a massive fiery Dragon known as the Ifrit. It was only because of Silver's abilities that they were able to send it back to where it came from.

"Yeah, some guy wearing armor just fell out of the portal. He looked pretty banged up," Tails continued. "Sally, Amy, Cream, and Nicole escorted him to the hospital while the rest of the Freedom Fighters set up a perimeter around it. Roter, Big, Antoine, and Bunny are patrolling the area right now."

"Alright, I think we should meet our mystery guest just in case things get out of hand which, let's be honest buddy? That's just about our everyday life." Sonic said with a smirk as he then dashed in the direction of the hospital, Tails once again flying after him as fast as he can.

_'Let's just hope this guy isn't hostile.'_

* * *

_**Westside Island: Mobotropolis:** _

Meanwhile, in a hospital in Mobotropolis, Sally Acorn, Amy Rose, Cream the Rabbit, and her pet Chao Cheese, found themselves staying in the waiting room as the individual they'd brought in was rushed to intensive care. Amy was reading a book to Cream and Cheese in an attempt to calm their nerves. At the same time, Sally simply leaned against the wall while staring intently at a photograph of her father, her late mother, and herself back when she was an infant.

Sally had looked at this picture multiple times - the only complete photograph of her full family. And yet, for some odd reason, she felt as if there was something _wrong_ about it. What exactly escaped her-

[...Sally?] Nicole the Holo-Lynx called out, slowly materializing out of Sally's handheld computer. [Is something troubling you?]

"It's just…" The chipmunk began, "Nicole, I feel like there's something wrong with this picture." Sally explained as she gazed at the photograph. "I mean, it looks good, and my parents look happy, but something feels weird. It's like something is missing from it…" Sally said as she showed the Holo-Lynx. "Or rather, _someone_ \- someone important."

[Huh... that is troubling. May I scan it?] Nicole asked. Sally smiled as she inserted the photographic through her computer's scanner to accomplish this.

[Let's see now…] the Holo-Lynx began as her systems started to examine every possible detail. [the date is accurate. The picture itself doesn't seem to have been tampered with in any way,] Nicole said as she continued her inspection. However, at that very moment, she felt an odd spark in the back of her mind. [Wait…] She mumbled, briefly attempting to bring up a file that she was sure she had, only to receive a red orb with small black cubes circling it. [That's not right.]

"What is it?" Sally asked as she looked over the image as well, the sight continuing to unnerve Nicole.

[Something isn't fitting- it's like I forget something. I-I have it on the tip of my tongue yet- what _IS_ it?] Nicole mumbled to herself as she tried the hack her way into the file. [There was something right here, I KNOW there was. Where are you?] She continued in her attempts to retrieve the file that was locked away. [That doesn't make sense, I could have sworn-]

*BZZZZTTT*

[ARGH!]

Nicole cried out in pain after attempting to touch the orb but instead received a burst of energy. A sharp pain immediately shot through her as the orb dissipated into nothing. But that didn't matter as a vision assaulted her mind-

' _This…'_ Nicole managed to think, ' _I remember this…'_

* * *

_A younger Sally Acorn approached NICOLE, or rather, the device she was limited to._

_"...that tells me who you are, but not_ what _." The chipmunk said to the device._

 _[I would like to be your_ friend… _] NICOLE replied in a neutral, artificial tone. [...but that is a choice only_ you _can make.]_

* * *

"Nicole? Nicole, stay with me!" Nicole heard Sally call out. The Holo-Lynx shook her head as the pain began to fade away.

[What… happened?] Nicole asked as she looked at Sally. There was fear and worry evident on both of their faces. [I just know I touched that orb and then... did anything happen that you could see, Sally?]

The Princess sadly shook her head as she helped Nicole to her feet. "No, I didn't. You just touched the orb and immediately passed out after it zapped you." She explained as Cream and Amy came to her side.

"Are you ok, Ms. Nicole?" The young Rabbit asked.

The Holo-Lynx did a quick memory scan, only to find that the data from the strange orb had utterly vanished. [I... I think-]

"YO! What'd we miss!?" The Blue Blur's voice rang out as he and Tails rushed through the doors.

"I don't know; I asked Nicole to look over a picture of my family and me, but when she did some kind of orb appeared," Sally explained, "and then-and then she passed out after screaming."

Sonic and Tails were at her side in seconds. "Oh no! Did you blow a fuse!? Do you need a secondary power source?!" The twin-tailed fox asked as he quickly began inspecting the handheld device.

[I... I-I think it's a memory. An incomplete memory though,] Nicole said as she rubbed her head. [I'm okay now though. Thank you for the concern.]

"Incomplete memories huh?" Sonic asked before sharing a knowing look with Tails. "You think this might have to do with some of that leftover Genesis energy?"

"But that shouldn't be possible, right?" Amy chimed in as the Holo-Lynx retreated into her handheld device to recover. "I mean, she expelled all of that energy restoring our memories of the old timeline. Or at least temporarily restoring them."

"We don't know what all that energy can do," Sally said as she gazed at her family picture once more. "I mean, it's still an unknown type of energy and the effects could've been more long-reaching than we thought-"

Before the discussion could go any further, the doors to the room opened as a yellow feathered Mobian Duck with an eye patch over his left eye stepped into the room, getting everyone's attention.

"Um... Princess-and company," He began, stammering a little and looking like he'd just seen a ghost. "O-our _visitor_ has r-regained consciousness-"

"Is something wrong Dr. Quack?" Cream asked curiously as the rest of the group gathered around him. "Did the visitor hurt someone?"

"N-no, but he... well, I think you should come and see him," He stated before leading them to the resting facility. The group shared a skeptical look but followed regardless.

* * *

"Ugh... my head's still spinning." The figure said as he got up slowly from his bed. "But I won't deny... that's about the nicest hospital bed in any zone I've slept in at least." He chuckled before turning towards the window.

The entire group went dead silent upon seeing the individual up close.

He wore some sort of armor that consisted of a red bodysuit, a yellow chest plate, utility belt, and shoulder pads, green boots with yellow highlights, and blue gloves. And right next to his bed was a green helmet with a yellow stripe on top with a dark blue visor.

But the most jarring fact about him was his face.

_He looked exactly like Sonic._

"Mr. Sonic?" Cream spoke up, breaking the silence. "Do you have a twin brother that we don't know about?"

"Not that I know of…" He replied, his eyes never leaving the doppelganger.

"...you sure this guy isn't just a robot in disguise or something?" Amy whispered to Dr. Quack, who simply shook his head.

"I had his DNA scanned; he's flesh-and-blood alright. And it almost matches Sonic's genetic sample but with a few differences."

The Sonic lookalike chuckled at their baffled expressions. "Judging by the looks on your faces, I can assume you have questions-."

"SEVERAL," They all replied at once.

"Okay then, I'll give you all a brief rundown. First off? My name isn't Sonic. It's _Zonic_. _Zah-Nick_. I know I look like him-" He began, pointing at the Blue Blur himself. "-but there's a reason for that. I'm him from an Alternate Dimension. Specifically, the No-Zone."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it!" Sally interrupted, disbelief evident on her face. "You're going to have to slow down, and yes I know that's rich given _who I'm talking to_ ," She added, noticing the coy look on Sonic's face. "But we saw you come flying out of a Genesis Portal; what's this about alternate dimensions?

"Alright. Do you all know the concept of how every one of your choices matter? Well... it's true. Any choice you make and didn't make affects the world around you. Say your Sonic didn't eat a chili dog today. He created a universe where he did and got ambushed by Badniks or the like." Zonic said, but then he scowled. "Well... at least it used to work like that. Now it's barely holding on as is."

"Wait, so you mean there was a Multiverse?" Tails asked excitedly.

"Yes, but the Waves have made sure that whatever is left is barely able to be called a Multiverse anymore. And it's part of the reason I'm here right now. I need your help again, Sonic."

That statement caught Sonic off-guard. "I'm sorry. I seem to have lost command of the English language for a moment there. What do you mean "again"?"

Zonic sighed upon hearing this. "You don't remember our missions together, do you?"

"Not really," Sonic said slowly with uncertainty. "Then again, most of what I remember of the old world is a blur. I'm pretty sure this is the first time we've met; in this timeline anyway."

The Zone Cop almost looked hurt upon hearing this. "Well, that complicates things."

[Hold on. I have an incoming message from Bunnie…] Nicole reported, [it's... you all need to hear this.] In the blink of an eye, she began playing the recording.

 _"Y'ALL MIGHT WANNA GET DOWN HERE FAST! WHATEVER IS HOLDIN' THIS 'ERE PORTAL TOGETHER?! IT AIN'T STAYIN' OPEN FER MUCH LONGER!"_ Bunnie shouted over loud roaring winds and discharges of electricity from the portal.

Zonic's eyes widened the moment he heard this. "No, no no no no NO! It can't close yet!" He shouted as he grabbed his helmet and leaped out the open window.

"WAIT A SEC!" Dr. Quack shouted in horror as they rushed to the window. "WE'RE ON THE FIFTH-"

Only to see him flying off via what appeared to be rocket boots.

"...floor," the doctor blinked, partly relieved.

"Come on, Tails! I still got some questions for the other me!" Sonic called out if he quickly darted out the window as well; using his super-speed to run down the side of the hospital before giving chase. Tails flying after him immediately.

"Come on, come on! Go faster!" Zonic groaned as his damaged boots began to malfunction. "I can't let it close yet; I can't! It's my only way back!"

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Julayla Memorial Garden, the remaining Freedom Fighters - Rotor Walrus, Big the Cat, Bunnie D'Coolette, and her beloved husband Antoine D'Coolette - were quickly evacuating various civilians from the area as the Genesis Portal continued to shrink. Unfortunately, it wasn't peaceful since there were bolts of lightning lashing out and striking different spots - like bushes that almost immediately burst into flames - and the statue of Julayla.

"THAT THING'S GETTING WORSE! WHERE'S THE CALVARY WHEN WE NEED IT?!" Rotor shouted as a thunderous BOOM echoed from the portal.

Mere seconds after he spoke, Zonic flew towards the garden while rapidly pressing a few buttons on his left gauntlet as he landed.

"Com'on, com'on..." He muttered to himself before firing what appeared to be a wrist-mounted laser at the shrinking portal, enveloping it in some sort of yellow aura. "...that's it! I just have to stabilize it and-"

However, the portal started sparking! The portal behaving erratically as if whatever Zonic did to it was disturbing it. As if in response, the portal erupted back into a more extensive form - just like the one the Zone Cop came through.

"Wh-what the?!" Zonic reacted before wondering to himself, "Did they somehow find a way to control it on their end?" He quickly tried to raise a channel. "This is Zone Cop Zonic to all frequencies. Does anybody hear me?"

There was nothing but static.

"I repeat! This is Zone Cop Zonic to all frequencies can ANYONE hear-" He was cut off by the sound of footsteps which slowly came from the portal. As he saw who came through the portal, Zonic could only barely contain his shock; one that his eyes betrayed.

Again, the portal soon started acting erratically with strange energy forcing it to open wider. A mad cackle was heard as someone began to emerge from the portal.

"FINALLY! AFTER ALL THESE YEARS I'M OUT! FINALLY FREE!" A voice said amidst the mad laughter as a figure fell through. Said figure was a mobian cat with black fur, dressed in a yellow tunic and belt, a flowing (if tattered) blue cape with a collar. What was most telling, however, remained to be the mad gleam in his blue eyes.

"Mon Dieu!" Antoine exclaimed as his wife landed next to him, carefully drawing his sword. "Who in ze world is zat?!"

"Looks like one tough customer, sho' nuff," Bunnie added as she stared at two newcomers, her cybernetic arm morphing into a cannon just in case things got ugly.

"Careful guys," Rotor stated as he returned to their side. "You know how unpredictable these portals are; we don't know if he's hostile just yet."

The Zone Cop, however, gritted his teeth as his shock turned to anger, glaring daggers at the black cat under his visor. Wasting no time and immediately drew his weapon. "On your knees, Black Death!"

"Whoa! Okay, there's no need for the blaster!" The cat, Black Death, said as he held his hands up. "I mean, after all, it seems a bit HOT to handle!" With a smirk and a quick motion from his paws, a fireball flew swiftly and disarmed Zonic.

"Oh, I've missed messing with you peasants. Stuck in that other realm for SO long is just so... DULL. Now then, where's that upstart Knuckles? We're due for a reck-AIIIE!" He shouted as Zonic tackled him to the ground.

Despite a short struggle, Black Death managed to kick the zone cop off before getting back on his feet. "YOU KNOW IT'S RUDE TO INTERRUPT A VILLAIN'S MONOLOGUE!" He snarled.

"But it's so much fun!" Sonic snickered as he and Tails arrived on the scene. The Blue Blur skidding to a halt right beside his friends, with Tails hovering beside him. "So… do you know Dr. Evil Von Creepy over here?" He asked as the Freedom Fighters slowly surrounded the Cat.

"You could say that," Zonic replied, his tone barely hiding the contempt in his voice. "I'll spare you the details; long story short he's a sorcerer dangerous enough to give Knuckles a run for his money." He explained as he got into a fighting stance. "We need to take him down, _quickly_."

"You think you can best me?!" The Cat spat as he looked at all of them. "You all have no idea the forces I can bring forth! You will all regret ever getting between me and my goals!"

"Yeesh. He sounds like a walking thesaurus for cheap villain quotes!" Sonic said with a smirk as he got ready to charge right at him. "Alright pussy cat, let's do this!" The Blue Blur then dashed towards the Sorcerer, quickly curling up into a spin dash and launching himself at his target.

"Oh no you don't!" The Sorcerer growled before his hands were engulfed in a black aura. Just as Sonic was about to hit him, he quickly countered by forming a sphere of dark energy and crushing it in his hands. "Take this, speedster!"

Suddenly, a black whirlwind erupted from his hands, surrounding the hedgehog sending him crashing into a nearby wall. However, almost immediately after, his conjured whirlwind began to dissipate.

"No no no! I am your master, and you will do as I command!" The sorcerer said with a snarl as he tried forcing the aura to stay lit. "You are not fading out on me again!"

"Aw, what's wrong? Performance issues?" Bunnie smirked as she kicked him from behind. "Y'all picked the wrong group tah mess with!" She shouted as her husband immediately attempted to strike him with his sword.

Black Death, however, wasn't deterred as his fists were surrounded in a black aura once more. A simple shield manifested right as Antonie's sword made contact.

"HA! My magic is perfectly fine! More than I can say for the lot of you when I'm done destroying you!" He said with a wicked smile. "I'll make sure you suffer that the pain you feel makes up for the agony I had to go through while trapped in that torturous realm! You-!"

"Will you shut up already!?" Tails snapped as he took advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration and curled up into a spin dash, slamming himself right into the Sorcerer's gut before he could recover.

"Payback time!" Sonic shouted as he, not one to be outdone, quickly dashed behind him, charging his Spin Dash and shooting straight into the air before delivering a powerful overhead ax kick to the back of the Sorcerer's head.

Zonic, having retrieved his weapon, immediately set it to stun before shooting him in the side, sending a jolt of electricity through his body.

However, just as Black Death was detained, Zonic noticed that the portal had begun acting out once more. A loud _BZZPP_ was heard before the portal vanished right before his eyes; the aura that surrounded it dissolved away.

"...well, that's gonna complicate matters." The Zone Cop said with a groan as he kicked the ground. "Just terrific. Now I have to find another portal to get back. Just couldn't stay open for at least five more seconds so I could get you stable could ya?" He sighed and turned back towards the group.

"I take it that portal was your only way back?" Tails asked as he landed next to him. And how did it vanish on its own? Last I checked those things couldn't close without Silver's power..."

"The ones you're referring to are standard portals. What you just witnessed right now was a Nexus Portal..." The Zone Cop explained, his tone not hiding his disappointment.

"Is there a difference…?" Sonic asked curiously as the remaining Freedom Fighters made their way back to the garden.

"A big one, mainly the fact that it's my only way back to headquarters..." Zonic explained exit after another button on his glove, revealing a holographic scanner. "...and these particular portals very rarely show up anyway.."

"How rarely?"

"Consider how rare a regular Genesis Portal appears. Multiply it by 10. That's close to a Nexus Portal." Zonic told the two as he finished scanning the area the portal previously occupied. "While this one wasn't my ONLY way back, it was the only reliable one that had its location fixed. And who knows when that thing will pop back open on either side."

"Hey man I know you seem to be in a big hurry, but you mind telling us what made you decide 'Hey that Nexus Portal looks like fun! I'm gonna hop into it!' if you knew it was possibly a one-way trip? You know just for the folks at our Zone that are a bit confused." Sonic asked with a sheepish grin at that last part as Zonic shot him a glare.

"For your information, it wasn't meant to be a one-way trip." He replied in an annoyed tone. "Us Zone Cops managed to adapt our technology to make sure these Portals can stay open as long as we need them to. Unfortunately, they tend to shrink over time, and as you just saw, there's only so much our devices can do once they become too small..." he took a moment to type in a few commands before the scan of shut off. "And for your information Sonic, I didn't just decide to "hop into it"! It was my only way of getting to Mobius Prime safely!"

"Whoa! Sorry about the insensitivity! I was just curious is all!" Sonic said as he held his hands up and backed away from the angry alternate him. "But that's still not telling us the full story. WHY did you come to us? I mean outside of the whole last place in the Multiverse thing. The way you talk it sounds like your home is about to fall to pieces… wait IS IT about to fall to pieces?"

"Not that we know of. Although I must get back there immediately." The Zone Cop stated before storming over to the incapacitated Sorcerer and grabbing him by the scruff of his neck. "...and on top of all that, now I have to deal with this clown." As he spoke, Zonic reached into his gauntlet and pulled out what seemed like a metal ring. "Please tell me you guys have some sort of prison here?"

"We 'ave a Detention Facility." Antoine chimed in helpfully. "Would zat suffice?"

"Ha! Lock me up all you want!" The Sorcerer gloated as the paralysis started to wear off. "No mere cell can hold the great sorcerer Black Dea-"

"Oh, zip it."

Before the Sorcerer could say anything in response, Zonic clamped the ring around his neck, causing the cat's entire body to seize up before falling to his knees, breathing heavily.

"Whoa. What did you do to him?" Sonic asked as he poked the cat a few times.

"I placed an Inhibitor collar around his neck. It should suppress any intact powers he may still have residing within him. He won't be pulling any more rabbits outta his hat today." Zonic said as he grabbed him. "Alright, I'll need directions for where your detention facility is, and then I'll need to speak to your leader immediately."

"You need an audience with the King?" Tails asked. "I mean, we can help with that, but-"

"Sonic!" The three were interrupted as Sally rushed into the garden, looking somewhat winded. "...please tell me you managed to get at least some answers from..." She glanced at the Zone Cop. "...well, _you_?"

"Well... kinda sorta?" Sonic said with a light chuckle as he puts his hands up in a shrug. "Um... so I got some sorta good news. The unstable portal is closed for now."

"Am I even gonna know WHY it's only sorta good news?" Sally asked while huffing. But before Sonic could go any further, Nicole began going off. Pulling her out, Sally saw that she had a message. Opening it, she gave a quick read before closing it. "Well, it's gotta wait for a bit. Nicole just gave me a message. We need to go meet up with my dad."

* * *

Later at Castle Acorn, the entirety of the Freedom Fighters stood at attention as King Nigel Acorn made his way into the Royal throne room.

"I like to think of myself as a reasonable king..." He began as he eyed the now helmet-less Zone Cop. "...as well as one who is willing to be open-minded. Believe me, I've had my fair share of time stuck in a world outside of my own." He continued, briefly remembering his time in the Zone of Silence. "So if another interdimensional force has the potential to be a threat to my kingdom, I would like to know exactly what I'm dealing with." He started firmly before turning to face Zonic directly. "Nicole has already given me the basics on exactly who you are, however, if we are to help you, we'll need as much information on this... 'multiverse' as possible."

"Alright, so as I told the others-" He pointed towards Sonic and his group real quick "-the multiverse used to operate on the idea of choices create paths. You do one action but in the other universe you did not. For instance, King Acorn, there could've been one universe where you were robotocized or one where your daughter assassinated you."

The people around him gasped at that last suggestion. "AGAIN, I'm just explaining how it USED to work. Those were just examples in a much larger universe of endless possibilities. There also could be more noble ones, but I think you can see what I'm getting at."

"I-I see…" King Acorn said slowly, contemplating the implications. "But you keep saying it used to work. What exactly happened to change that?"

"The Super Genesis Wave." Zonic began, briefly noticing his Prime counterpart flinch upon hearing those words. "In the old world, with the help of another scientist, Dr. Eggman managed to obtain the seven Chaos Emeralds and attempted to rewrite the entire fabric of reality." He pressed a button on his gauntlet, which immediately provided a holographic display of different realities. And at the center of it all, Sonic in his super form holding what seemed like a glowing green orb. "During his battle with the doctor, Sonic attempted to restore reality to normal but was met with interference from Eggman himself."

As the Zone Cop continued to explain, the holograph proceeded to change, displaying the doctor himself ramming what was left of his robot into Sonic. This event caused the orb the hedgehog was holding onto to spasm and distort. In desperation, Super Sonic fired the orb only for Eggman to fire a laser at it at the same time; causing it to explode in a massive burst of energy.

The King and the Freedom Fighters watched in horror as the image proceeded to shrink, displaying the rest of the alternate realities as a bright white light expanded across the Multiverse, sucking every Zone into a massive vortex with Mobius Prime at the center.

"The fractured Super Genesis Wave proceeded to cause a horrible chain reaction, forcing the entirety of the Multiverse to collapse in on itself," Zonic continued to explain. "Mobius Prime, being at the center of it all was spared, but it's past, present, and possible future were completely re-written as a result. And as for the rest of the multiverse..."

As the light died down, various alternate realities dissipated into nothingness or proceeded to fuse with others at the center of the vortex. This process repeating until the vortex finally subsided, eventually reforming into a single dimension. "...I'm sorry to say that thousands, if not billions, of dimensions were lost." The Zone Cop continued, sorrow evident in his voice. "The rest were forcibly fused into an amalgamation of dimensions; this dimension is what we refer to as the Genesis Nexus."

"And that's where your people are at right now?" Sally asked to which Zone Cop nodded.

"They are. And it's the reason I came here. I need help in ensuring the place stays in one piece and with how things are? It's getting worse." He said in a grim tone. "We weren't the only ones sent there; various individuals from countless alternate dimensions have ended up here as well. Especially Mobians from your old reality." Zonic continued as the Hologram shifted once more, revealing several pictures of specific areas within the Nexus, each of them under attack by individuals bearing cybernetic enhancements. "Sadly that also includes several criminals as well, including some of Dr. Eggman's Grandmasters."

"Uh, I'm sorry, _Grandmasters_?" Sally asked, the others looking just as confused as she did.

"...I suspect you have a different name for his subordinates that are higher up in his organization? Like, I don't know, Egg-Boss or something like that?" Zonic asked and wasn't shocked when they all nodded. "Yeah, wonderful; somehow, his ego got worse."

"Certain things must be constant throughout the Multiverse..." Tails mused before correcting himself. "Or rather, used to be."

"Regardless, if any of Eggman's forces are in this Nexus, then it's more than likely he's found a way to get there as well," Rotor chimed in. "That would explain why he's been so quiet as of late."

"Meaning we have NO time right now and have to find another portal leading back to the Nexus," Zonic said as he checked his wrist computer. "I know this is all abrupt, and you all likely want to start repairing your home first, but this is bigger than you think."

"Now hold on a moment," the King interrupted. "While I'd be more than happy to provide any assistance to those suffering under Eggman's tyranny, there is still the matter of how much manpower we can spare."

Unsure where her father was going with this, Sally stepped forward. "But father, you heard what he-"

"Yes, I did, Sally. But you must remember that Eggman is just as big a threat here as he is in this Nexus we've been told about." The King continued, placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Suppose all of you went into the Nexus and he used this as a prime opportunity to launch a full-scale invasion?"

The rest of the group flinched at this; the very idea of both Knothole and Mobotropolis being completely vulnerable brought up some bad memories. Satisfied that his point had been made, the King turned his attention back to the Zone Cop. "Zonic, please don't take this the wrong way, for I'm more than willing to grant you assistance from my Freedom Fighters. Provided that a few members stay behind, just to be safe."

"Understandable. You leave all the soldiers with me then who guards your home against worse threats that may slip by? It'd be best to start collecting your people that you want to send with me. This isn't something that's going to take a long time to deliberate, suffice it to say." Zonic said as the others nodded in agreement.

However, at that moment, Zonic's wrist computer immediately started beeping again. "...and while you guys are discussing that, I need to inspect the area to make sure more anomalies don't pop up. Excuse me." He stated as he exited the room, leaving the heroes to converse amongst themselves.

* * *

_**The Death Egg Mk II:** _

Meanwhile, in the massive battle station known as the Death Egg, the evil genius Dr. Ivo Robotnik, AKA Dr. Eggman, was busy putting the finishing touches on his latest robot.

"-and now I just adjust the torque and voila!" A certain mad scientist shouted as he applied the finishing touches to his latest creation. "Isn't it beautiful?! My latest and greatest invention yet!"

[Congratulations Boss, you've rebuilt Metal Sonic _yet again_ ,] His spherical assistant, Orbot, chimed in sarcastically. [Hopefully, it'll come back in one piece this time. Assuming Sonic is feeling charitable.]

"Oh hush, Orbot! You of all people should understand the magnificent being that I made!" Eggman shouted with glee as he looked at his prized creation. But before he could elaborate further on what he meant, his machines picked up a strange energy signature.

[Yo, Boss Man!] The Doctor's second assistant, for lack of a better term, Cubot, shouted as he hopped into the room. [We's got ourselves som' weird as all get-out energy signature comin' from Westside Island, ya dig?]

"Is that so...?" Eggman said as he hurried over to his computers and began triangulating where precisely on the Island it was. "Well now, this is rather… _INTERESTING_. Computer! Analyze and identify those signatures right now! I must know more about them and what their origin is."

[ANALYZING... ANALYZING... WARNING, ANOMALY DETECTED.] The computer responded, displaying an aerial map of South Island with a blinking dot indicating the location of the portal. However, right after that, two separate charts appeared right next to the map. The bottom is the result of the current anomaly while the top displayed data from a previous scan. [ENERGY SIGNATURES SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE GENESIS PORTALS.]

"A Genesis portal, you say?" The good Doctor said with a creepy smile. "Now this is rather... interesting. What exactly do you have in store for me today, little portal?"

[I'm cross-referencing the previous data we've recorded right now boss.] Orbot said as he started typing in a few commands. However, at that very moment, another signal popped up yet this one bore the Eggman Empire logo. [Wait... that can't be right...]

"What is it, Orbot?"

[Well sir, according to these readings, there's a signal coming from within the portal that is directly connected to the EggNet.] The spherical robot explained as the map zeroed in on the exact location of the portal. [...the strange thing is, it seems to be on a completely different frequency.]

"Well, either way, this is an EXCELLENT test run for my latest Metal Sonic!" Eggman said with a dark chuckle as he turned to it. After some final touches, he turned Metal Sonic on with his red eyes glaring ahead. "Metal Sonic… ah, I'll worry about designation later. I have a duty for you."

The machine said nothing but turned its head towards Eggman's direction.

"You are to head to this location where the portal is at with a contingent of Badniks with you. Either to study and observe the portal... or to give Sonic an awful day. Either way is fine with me. And do NOT return unless it's something important! Understood?"

[UNDERSTOOD, DR. EGGMAN.]

* * *

Back in the Royal Throne Room, Zonic entered while typing in a few more commands into his gauntlet, and was greeted by the sight of the Freedom Fighters, seemingly in a more positive mood than when he left, and King Acorn sitting on his throne.

"Zonic, after much consideration we have managed to come to a proper agreement on which of our freedom fighters will accompany you to the Genesis Nexus." King Acorn explained as he approached the group.

"Thank you, your Majesty." The Zone Cop replied, bowing respectfully. However, his expression quickly became serious as he stood. "While I am truly grateful, my scanners have picked up another Nexus portal. And as much as I hate to rush things, we need to get to the source of the signal _immediately.._."

* * *

_**Westside Island: Metropolis Zone Ruins:** _

The Metropolis Zone was once a vast, industrial city comprised of numerous mechanical contraptions and huge factories controlled by the evil Dr. Eggman.

But not long after the Dark Gaia crisis split apart the planet, the earthquakes and fissures tore up most of the city, forcing the local chapter of the Egg Army to abandon their base, leaving it to fall into ruin.

Save for a few barely functioning Badniks; the city was mostly a ghost town.

But soon, within the very heart of these city ruins, a Nexus Portal spawned. And from within it, several tendrils emerged from its depths; latching onto anything mechanical in the vicinity.

He could feel it…

A way out…

A way back to that wretched Mobius…

And back to those that he needed to KILL.

They thought that just sending him away in some nice, endless abyss was going to do him in?! That this was all that was needed to stop him?! HA!

Oh they'll see...

THEY'LL ALL SEE just how wrong they are!

He giggled to himself... as a green eye flashed in pure anticipation.

" _ **Oh Sooooniiiiiic. I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!"**_


End file.
